zinc bullets
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welll i've learned a lot. all the hard way. first u have to forget all u know about casting with lead.
the casting temp of the zinc is a lot higher than lead. u start casting with a cold mould for
good bullets and u keep your mould could. it took me a while to learn that. my mould sets on
a vibrator pad while pouring and that makes a good perfect bullet. i,m getting the sizzeing lube
figured out. to cold now to do much and i'm out of zinc. i just wanted to compare notes
with anyone playing with zinc. with good bases the are accurate.
jb
the casting temp of the zinc is a lot higher than lead. u start casting with a cold mould for
good bullets and u keep your mould could. it took me a while to learn that. my mould sets on
a vibrator pad while pouring and that makes a good perfect bullet. i,m getting the sizzeing lube
figured out. to cold now to do much and i'm out of zinc. i just wanted to compare notes
with anyone playing with zinc. with good bases the are accurate.
jb
I bought a box of cast zinc bullets some years ago from Dillon. They worked OK in my 1911. They are sure light for caliber.
The one thing that I did not like was a result of using them in an indoor range that I frequent. The probability of a ricochet is higher than with lead. The zinc bullets do not deform/squash like a cast lead bullet when hitting a metal plate backstop and so their energy is not as effectively dissipated. I have found them on the wrong side of the backstop far from where they should have been. Outdoors....not a problem.
Pete
The one thing that I did not like was a result of using them in an indoor range that I frequent. The probability of a ricochet is higher than with lead. The zinc bullets do not deform/squash like a cast lead bullet when hitting a metal plate backstop and so their energy is not as effectively dissipated. I have found them on the wrong side of the backstop far from where they should have been. Outdoors....not a problem.
Pete
Watch out for the fumes they can be extremely dangerous.
Just a few things about zinc that may help
Zinc gives you a bullet that is about 65 percent the weight of lead, so a 200 grain bullet mold will give you a zinc bullet that weighs about 130 grains. They can be pushed pretty fast, but lose velocity quickly.
For information you can also look up Zamack bullets, there is another name that they go by, but it escapes me right now. I'll remember it sometime when its no longer important.
Regards,
Gene
Just a few things about zinc that may help
Zinc gives you a bullet that is about 65 percent the weight of lead, so a 200 grain bullet mold will give you a zinc bullet that weighs about 130 grains. They can be pushed pretty fast, but lose velocity quickly.
For information you can also look up Zamack bullets, there is another name that they go by, but it escapes me right now. I'll remember it sometime when its no longer important.
Regards,
Gene
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I was just reading an article in a 1948 American Rifleman about the use and casting of Zinc bullets. At the thine they were recommending the use of a zinc/aluminum alloy so the zinc wouldn't be so "brittle". Zinc's melting point IIR was about 721*F and it's pour point was about 725 or 6*F. Using regular block molds created another problem as it wanted to "plate" the mold in it's pure form. Another reason for adding the aluminum, I guess?
Findings by the writer concluded pretty much the same as what Pete said about being lighter. They were "more accurate than lead bullets" at higher velocities out to 100 yards but velocity and accuracy fell off after that.
I'll have to read the article again to get more particulars.
RJ
Findings by the writer concluded pretty much the same as what Pete said about being lighter. They were "more accurate than lead bullets" at higher velocities out to 100 yards but velocity and accuracy fell off after that.
I'll have to read the article again to get more particulars.
RJ
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9,647 Posts
For what it's worth.
Had a buddy that got blown out of a PT boat in '44, partly deaf, part blind, and limping, they 4F'ed him and he spent the latter part of the 1940's, early 1950'srecovering and shooting. Weren't any bullets to be had, and lead was in real short supply, so he started shooting "Kerksite" (not sure of the speelling...but it was a Zinc alloy sold for casters back then).
He gave me a few 45-70 gullets he'd been using, mostly un-shot, but some shot and recovered (they looked the same except for rifling marks). He did kill a bit of game with them, but it lacked the penetration of lead. He's not lube them at all, bare-naked shooting.
As he put it, they were, "Harder than the back of Moses' head."
Had a buddy that got blown out of a PT boat in '44, partly deaf, part blind, and limping, they 4F'ed him and he spent the latter part of the 1940's, early 1950'srecovering and shooting. Weren't any bullets to be had, and lead was in real short supply, so he started shooting "Kerksite" (not sure of the speelling...but it was a Zinc alloy sold for casters back then).
He gave me a few 45-70 gullets he'd been using, mostly un-shot, but some shot and recovered (they looked the same except for rifling marks). He did kill a bit of game with them, but it lacked the penetration of lead. He's not lube them at all, bare-naked shooting.
As he put it, they were, "Harder than the back of Moses' head."
recoil junky; i'm realy interested in any info in that article as i'm to close to haveing this all figured out to
quit now. LOL i'm now looking for hi temp ceramic coatings for my lead pot and ladle. will be getting
some more zinc shortly and hopefully the weather will cooperate and i'll get to try some more out,
later
jb
quit now. LOL i'm now looking for hi temp ceramic coatings for my lead pot and ladle. will be getting
some more zinc shortly and hopefully the weather will cooperate and i'll get to try some more out,
later
jb
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11,521 Posts
Mostly the article goes deeper into the problem associated with trying to cast zinc bullets using Kirksite "A". The author, one Colonel E. H. Harrison, goes into detail about the use of oversized molds, because of zinc's shrinking when cast. It appears to be most critical to get the right size mold and bullets of .002-.003" oversize are best. These bullets don't need to be lubed.
Col. Harrison also talks about the use of Zamak No. 3, casting Lyman's 308280, "normally weighing 196 grains when cast from Lyman's #2 alloy (old bullet casters know the recipe, I can't recall right now) the weight in "Zamac" is 127 grains, so bullets are going to be roughly 60% of what they would be if they were cast from lead/lead alloys."
After reading this article, I'm of the understanding that the use of Kirksite or Zamac in bullet casting is at best, "good for shots up to 100 yards" as "velocity and accuracy" tend to "fall off dramatically". And due to the "lightness and length of the bullet" it tends to "lose gyroscopic stabilization rather quickly".
RJ
Col. Harrison also talks about the use of Zamak No. 3, casting Lyman's 308280, "normally weighing 196 grains when cast from Lyman's #2 alloy (old bullet casters know the recipe, I can't recall right now) the weight in "Zamac" is 127 grains, so bullets are going to be roughly 60% of what they would be if they were cast from lead/lead alloys."
After reading this article, I'm of the understanding that the use of Kirksite or Zamac in bullet casting is at best, "good for shots up to 100 yards" as "velocity and accuracy" tend to "fall off dramatically". And due to the "lightness and length of the bullet" it tends to "lose gyroscopic stabilization rather quickly".
RJ
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126 Posts
zinc is just not that practical for bullets.
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159 Posts
Dude, given the OP's admitted shortcomings with English, you're just going to confuse him.
I spell and speak poor english mac266. Thanks for bringing my poor post to my attention.
Gold and silver does cast very well though! Better than lead in some way's.
Was intended as humor. I assumed that the OP would understand that!
Perhaps? Perhaps NOT?
Cheezywan
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